A first-time French Open champion will be crowned Saturday: Will it be No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka or No. 2 Coco Gauff? Sabalenka has three Grand Slam titles to her name, while Gauff has one — but neither has won at Roland Garros before.
Our experts weigh in on how each could pull off the victory.
What can Gauff do to defeat Sabalenka?
Rennae Stubbs: Gauff has to serve above 60% first serves in, or she will have a hard time holding serve consistently enough. If she can do that and keep the scoreboard pressure on, she can win. Her speed on court means she can run enough balls down and stress Sabalenka into errors, but Gauff cannot serve badly, and she needs to keep her double faults in check.
Simon Cambers: Gauff has the game to trouble Sabalenka. That’s the most important thing, mentally. The backhand to backhand is going to be crucial. If Gauff can get most of the rallies on her terms, then she has a chance to win most of the baseline contests. She will need to serve a high percentage of first serves, though, because Sabalenka will hammer the second serve unless Gauff manages to get it out of her hitting zone.
Her tenacity will be key. Throughout the tournament, Gauff has shown huge mental strength to get out of difficult situations, and the power of the Sabalenka game means…
